Misadventures of a Broken Heart
by vampiregirl143
Summary: As always Edward makes the wrong decision with the best intention, he always has Bella's best interest at heart. Nearly four years later when a still broken Edward returns, will the last person anyone thought possible, be the one to bring them back together?
1. Chapter 1

"Ms. Swan, I'm going to need these copied and on my desk before you leave tonight. Thank you."

I jumped at the sound of papers dropping onto my desk and turned just in time to see Mr. Johnston wink before he turned and left my office. I closed my eyes and took a few deep breaths before slipping my feet back into my heels and making my way to the copy room. I glanced at the clock and picked up my pace as I realized it was already seven thirty. Jake was going to be pissed. It wasn't that it would take long to make the copies. The copier would take care of it mostly, it was the fact that I had been here since seven this morning, hoping to be able to get out on time for my anniversary dinner with Jake. He had already postponed our dinner reservation once, and it was starting to look like he was going to be doing so again. His voice had been abrupt at best when I had spoken to him the first time; I wasn't looking forward to his reaction if I had to call him again.

"Not to worry love, I will handle it." I pushed start on the copier startled by his intrusion into my thoughts. The cool calm velvet voice was not one that I had thought of in some time, hardly at all since things had been going so well with Jake. Jacob Black was a year behind me at Northwestern, and was currently a first year associate at competitor's law firm. I had literally run into him at the courthouse one day, and nearly choked on my tongue when I saw him in the navy pinstripe suit he was wearing. He asked me out for coffee, and we had been seeing each other exclusively for the past year.

The copies were nearly half done when I felt his presence behind me. I didn't bother to acknowledge him, but quickly realized what a mistake that was. "You're such a good little girl Isabella," he whispered.  
"Doing exactly what I asked you to do."

I felt his lips on my ear at the same time as his hands fell to my hips. He pulled me back against him and I did my best to ignore his inappropriate touching. It wasn't that James Johnston was an unattractive man. He was in his early thirties, and was only a partner because his grandfather had started the firm over 50 years ago, but his attitude couldn't have been more of a turn off. Arrogant, insensitive, spoiled, self-centered, I could probably go on for hours. He had been hitting on me since day one, and it infuriated him that I insisted on staying with my "nobody" boyfriend instead of being with him.

"Mr. Johnston, please," I said attempting to turn out of his grasp.

"Bella, how many times have I asked you to call me James?" I cleared my throat and leaned forward in attempt to put some space between us, but once again realized my mistake. He moaned quietly as he pushed himself further against me as I was leaned over the copier. Mr. Johnston reached down for the hem of my skirt and started sliding it slowly up my thigh. "Well, well, well, what do we have here?" he asked as his fingers found the garter belt holding up my thigh highs that I had put on in anticipation of my night out with Jacob. "Did you wear this just for me?"

I took a deep breath and fought back the tears stinging my eyes before I found my voice. "NO! I wore it for my boyfriend, it's our anniversary," I said as I pushed away from the copier with all my might. He stumbled back a foot or two and looked shocked as I turned around to face him. "Now if you excuse me, I am late. You can finish the copies yourself," I said pushing past him before I completely gave into my tears.

Mr. Johnston grabbed my arm as I pushed passed him and pulled me backwards. "If you walk out of here, or if I find out you've told anyone about this, you'll never work in Chicago again," he threatened. I laughed at his threat, though I knew he was powerful enough to follow through.

"I don't need this job and I don't need Chicago, so do what you want," I said before yanking my arm from his grasp and running quickly back to my office. I grabbed anything important, very certain that I would never be stepping foot back into McConnell and Johnston again.

The tears were still flowing freely twenty five minutes later when I walked into my apartment and found Jacob sitting on the couch. I could tell just by the way that he was sitting that he was unhappy. His large frame was leaning back against the couch and his arms were crossed over his chest. "Drop the act Bells," he said without moving.

"What act?" I asked as I slipped out of my heels and wiped the tears off my face.

"What act?" he asked with a laugh. "The, I give a shit act. Was it really asking too much that you come home early one fucking night so that we could go out and celebrate our anniversary?" He stood quickly, stalking towards me slowly.

"Yea, well you don't have to worry about that anymore," I said softly.

"Excuse me?"

I sighed and took a deep stuttering breath before I continued. "Mr. Johnston, he…."

"Spit it out Isabella," he said coldly as he took a step towards me.

His tone caught me off guard and I narrowed my eyes at him before I spoke again. "He followed me into the copy room and felt me up against one of the copiers. Then he threatened my job and my reputation if I told anyone what happened. So I quit," I said choking back a sob. I expected Jacob to soften then. I expected him to take me in his arms and speak softly to me until I calmed down and then run me a hot bath and sit with me until I soaked all my worries away. At one point during our relationship he would have done just that, and then he would have dried me off and made love to me and held me until morning. But that Jake had been gone for a while now, and I had been too caught up in my work to take notice. Or if I was being honest I was just too comfortable in the relationship to speak up.

"You. Did. What?"

"I quit," I said with less conviction than the first time.

Jacob took a deep breath and closed his eyes tightly for a minute. "You really are a selfish bitch, you know that?"

"Excuse me?"

"Did you ever stop to think about how this would affect me? You're not the only one trying to make it in this city you know. How is it going to look tomorrow morning when I show up at the office and everyone finds out that my girlfriend got fired from one of the most prestigious law firms in the city all because her boss wanted to play a little grab ass, huh?" he asked walking towards me. I had never seen Jacob so upset.

"I guess you can tell them that I am your ex-girlfriend," I said walked passed him, headed for the kitchen.

"Don't you walk away from me when I'm talking to you Isabella," he nearly screamed as he grabbed my arm and spun me back around to face him. I heard a pop in my arm, but ignored it as I felt my anger rise.

"Don't touch me Jacob, who the hell do you think you are?" I screamed.

"What are you going to do now huh? You quit your job, and now you're breaking up with me? I'm all you have left."

I looked up at the man that I had grown to love over the past year. "Edward would never," I started to think but quickly forced him out of my mind. I wouldn't think about him, not now, not ever. I took another deep breath and looked up at Jacob before speaking. "I don't need you Jacob."

He laughed again and grabbed his jacket heading towards the door. "Don't think you can just change your mind, don't call me in the morning and try to come crawling back to me. I'm all you have in this city and you just threw it all away."

"Then I will go home," I said trying to ignore the dull ache starting in my left arm.

"To Seattle?" he asked with a laugh. "You don't have anyone there either." He opened the door and stormed out, slamming the door behind him.

As soon as he was gone I fell to my knees and let the tears come, though deep down I knew that I was relieved. I didn't want to admit it but there had been something off between us for a while now.

After a minute or two I stood and headed to the kitchen. I poured myself a glass of wine, and swallowed four Advil as I pulled my hair out of its French twist. My curls fell down my back as I made my way into the bathroom to run a hot bath. My arm was really starting to ache, and I was hoping that a nice long soak would help with the pain.

As I lay in the hot water, covered in bubbles I thought back to what I had said to Jacob.

"_I'll go home."_

"_To Seattle, you don't have anyone there either."_

He wasn't wrong. My parents were both dead. Renee was killed by a drunk driver my freshman year of high school. Charlie had followed four years later, shot in the line of duty attempting to talk down a man who was robbing a bank. What made his life so much more important than my fathers? I had lived with Nana Swan in Seattle during the summer after that, and that was where I met him. "No, I won't," I said breaking up my memory.

I could go back to Seattle, I may not have anyone there, but I didn't have anything keeping me in Chicago either and Nana had left me the house in Seattle. As the only grandchild the house and more than enough money to keep me comfortable for the rest of my life had been left all to me. I had closed up the house two and a half years when Nana died, and the money had just been sitting in my trust, waiting for reason to use it. That was the last time that I had been to Seattle. The last time I saw them. The family that had taken me in like another daughter. He hadn't been there of course, why would he? The most important person in my life had just died and he couldn't even spare a day. I couldn't help but let the last conversation I had with my best friends, Alice and Rosalie, flash in my mind.

"_Bella don't be ridiculous, where are you going?" asked Alice as she followed me around my room unpacking my things faster than I could pack them._

"_I don't know. New York, maybe Chicago. Why does it matter?"_

"_Because you belong here," said Rosalie. _

"_Oh maybe Atlanta, can you see me in Atlanta with all that sun and that heat?" I was more than aware that I was acting a little manic right now. _

"_Bella you need to be here with your family," said Alice stopping in front me._

_I stopped and looked at the woman who had been my best friend for the past six years, we had both changed so much and yet she looked just like she did the day I met her when I moved in with nana. "You're my best friend Alice, and I love you. But you are his family and he made it quite clear that he didn't want me as part of his family." I regretted it the second I said it, but I knew I couldn't take it back. Alice was speechless for probably the first time in her life as I continued to pack. It was Rosalie that spoke next._

"_Obviously you need some time; we are going to head home now. We will see you in the morning. We love you Bella," she said as she grabbed Alice's hand and pulled her from my room. That was the last time I had seen or spoke to any of the Cullen's, I was gone before dawn the next morning. _

By nine the bath water had grown cold, and though I wasn't ready to get out the Advil and hot water hadn't helped my arm nearly as much as I had hoped. And based on my history of broken bones and clumsiness I was almost positive it was broken.

When I climbed in to the cab half an hour later my phone alerted me of a new text. I looked at it with little interest, sure that it was Jacob, already apologizing. I was more than surprised to see that it was someone that I hadn't heard from it over two years. Alice Cullen. It felt weird to refer to my best friend like that, so impersonally.

**B-**

**I'm here for you if you need me. Always. Love you.**

**-A**

As the taxi carried me towards Northwestern memorial hospital I got online and booked the flight to Seattle the next morning. I didn't think I would change my mind, but now I had no choice. I was going home.


	2. Chapter 2

"Hey Dr. D, I'm headed down to Starbucks, you in?"

I jerked back to reality at the mention of coffee, good coffee. "Bryan, why do you even bother to ask anymore?" I asked with a laugh. "Here my treat, make sure you hit up the girls on your way down," I said as I handed him some cash.

"Thanks Doc," he said with a grin. I'm sure it was supposed to be sexy, and some might even think so, but he just wasn't my type.

"Go, I need caffeine," I said tossing a pen at him. He laughed as he caught the pen and tossed it back at me. Bryan was a sweet guy. He was a nurse in the emergency department at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. I had only been here about six months, but I had settled in just fine. We had a great team and we all enjoyed working together to save lives. Most days it was hard for me to believe that just six months ago I was working in a third world hospital, wearing the same scrubs I had been wearing for the past three days, as I administered anti- malaria drugs and treated HIV/AIDS patients. I had enjoyed my time in Africa. It was the most eye opening experience of my life, and I met some of the most amazing people. Not surprisingly, not all of them were my patients. Though they were all very inspirational, it was him. He broke my heart, and I still can't believe that he decided to stay.

"_Are you insane Edward? You've been here for two and a half years. Aren't you ready to go home and see your family? Don't you think your mother would like to see your handsome face? Hell, you don't even write anymore." _

_I was shocked, irritated and beyond furious. Edward and I had entered the Peace Corps close to three years ago now, and he hadn't been home once. Now this gorgeous man was standing in front of me telling me that he had talked Dr. Logan into letting him stay another six months. _

"You're fucking nuts!" All I could think about was my family back in Chicago, my niece and nephew that I _hadn't met yet and my parents who I hadn't seen in nearly a year and a half. A nice hot bubble bath in my claw foot soaker tub in my bathroom at home, snow, a good cup of coffee and a much needed good night's sleep._

"_Tanya, what am I going home to? My brother and sister are married, and have moved on with their lives. What will I do? Live with my parents and work under my father? And…fuck Tanya, what if she still lives next door? What if she's married, with kids and living next to my parents? How, how am I supposed to deal with that?" Edward sat down and rubbed his hands over his face before running them through his hair. I couldn't believe that he was still so broken up about this after so long. I was more than familiar with the story of Isabella Swan, the love of Edward Cullen's life. They had dated all through college. He went to Medical School and she had gone to Law School. The whole family just knew that a sparkly diamond and a white dress were just around the corner for them, until one day Edward just ended things. He told me that he felt like he needed to help those who needed to be helped the most, and he couldn't do that in the states. But that wasn't even the worst of it. When he had come clean to Bella about his plans she had promised to wait for him, begged him to change his mind about ending their relationship. Edward knew he couldn't let Bella put her life on hold for three years to wait for him, so he did what he thought he needed to do the help her let him go. _

"_Bella it's not just that, I don't want to be with you anymore."_

_I could hear the pain in his voice as he repeated those words to me almost six weeks after the first time he had spoken them. I had only known him few weeks at the time but I knew then that he was lying, and I couldn't believe that Bella didn't know that too. And now, three years later he was still just as broken up as the day that I had met him._

"_What if she's not?" I asked. _

"_How could she not be? She's fucking perfect."_

"_You know, I'm sure your mother, or your sister would be happy to fill you on her life and where she is if you just called them."_

"_No," he said standing. "It's better this way. Stop by tonight if you want." He stopped briefly and pressed a kiss to my lips before quietly walking out of my room._

Edward and I had known each other for just over eight weeks when we slept together for the first time. It was a relationship of necessity. It was all about the release and the contact. It was fucking, it wasn't soft, and it wasn't loving. And while I loved Edward, it just wasn't that type of love. Besides, I knew that Edward would never love anyone the way that he loved Bella, and I was no match for Isabella Swan.

While Edward was on my mind, and I had a free minute I pulled up my email and quickly typed him out a short message.

Edward-

Just wanted to take a minute to see how you were doing. It's been six months now, do you know when you're leaving yet? I hope it's soon, you know you can't stay there forever, right? Missing your handsome face.

Always yours- Tanya

I had just closed out of Gmail when my venti upside down Carmel Macchiato was placed in front of me, along with my change.

"Bryan, you are my hero."

"Oh don't thank me too much doc, fractured wrist, curtain 2."

"On it," I said as I took the chart from him and stole a quick sip of my coffee before heading towards curtain two. I didn't even bother looking at the chart before walking in. "Hello there, that's some fracture you've got going there." I placed the chart down next to my patient as I concentrated on the radiographs of her left wrist.

"Yea well, I'm just clumsy like that," she said softly.

"Oh not to worry, Orthopedics is here until midnight, why don't I walk you up there?" I offered, turning to look at her for the first time. I gasped. I tried to keep it in, I really did. I definitely wasn't the most professional thing to do. But there she was, sitting right in front of me. "Bella?"

"Yes?" she asked.

"You're Isabella Swan." She looked at me like I was nuts. Obviously I would know that, I had her chart and full medical history in my hand.

"Do I know you?" she asked finally. She wasn't rude, but I could tell she was annoyed.

"You're Edwards Bella."

She laughed, it was a much colder laughed than I was expecting from her. "No. I was Edward's Bella, I haven't been that in a long time," she said refusing to make eye contact with me.

I took a second to really look at her while she refused to look at me. She was beautiful, really beautiful in that naturally beautiful kind of way and just like he said she was my total opposite. Her hair was thrown up in a haphazard pony tail and her eyes were red and puffy. She had obviously been crying and I couldn't help but wonder if it was because of her wrist or if something else was going on.

"You know Edward?" she asked finally. She barely looked up at me as she waited for my answer.

"I do. Edward and I were together for two and a half years…."

She cut me off quickly. "I always knew someone like you was more Edward's type."

I gave her a stern look before continuing. "We were together in Africa for two and a half years. I came home six months ago, he stayed."

"He's still in Africa?" She seemed surprised by that information.

"He stayed because of you," I answered.

"He stayed because of me?" she squeaked out. "What the hell does he give a shit about me for?" I could see the tears in her eyes, threatening to fall. I didn't answer; instead I looked down at my watch. Ten thirty.

"Look, let's get you upstairs and get you casted, and then I will buy you a cup of coffee and we can talk." She eyed me silently for a minute before agreeing quietly carefully sliding off of the exam table. I ushered her over to the elevator and we headed to the fifth floor.

Dr. McCoy was working in Orthopedics this evening and had just finished casting the ankle of a nine year old boy still clad in his football uniform when we arrived. "Alright Tanya, just give me five and I will be right in," he said as he wheeled his young patient back out to his parents.

There was an awkward silence between the two of us while we waiting for Dr. McCoy, and I'm honestly not sure while I felt the need to stay. I excused myself to wait in the lobby as Dr. McCoy reentered the room, and as I did my phone alerted me of a new email. I was shocked to see that it was from Edward.

**Tanya- **

**I left on Wednesday. I have to be home for my mother's sixtieth birthday shindig on Saturday. I know you were angry with me when you left, and you had every right to be. I don't know where Bella is or what I will be going home to, but it's time for me to go home. I'm ready now. Thank you for making me ready. **

** Always- **

** Edward**

It made me smile that he was finally going home to his family. I didn't know what was going on with Bella, but I hoped to find out shortly.

Twenty minutes later Dr. McCoy and Bella came walking out. Bella now had a black cast on her left wrist that ended just below her elbow. "Still up for a cup of coffee?" I asked as she stopped in front of me.

"I'd like that, thank you."

We were quiet as we made our way down to the Starbucks in the main lobby. I ordered another upside down caramel macchiato and Bella ordered a tall coffee before we settled in at a table in the far corner of the café. Neither one of us spoke right away, but I didn't really expect Bella to start this particular conversation.

After a few sips of my drink I took a deep breath before speaking, "I met Edward on our first night in Africa. I don't have to tell you how gorgeous he is." She tried to act indifferent to that statement but I could see how she was fighting back a smile. "But it wasn't his looks that drew me over to him that day; it was the broken look on his face and the lack of fire in his eyes." Bella scoffed and rolled her eyes as she took a sip of her drink and waited for me to continue. "It took me a couple of attempts to get him to talk to me, but as soon as he opened up it all came spilling out. Everything he said to you, everything you said to him. How much his sister hated him for what he had done to you and how disappointed his parents were in his decision. He was broken Bella, he completely lost it when he told me that he had to tell you that he didn't want to be with you anymore. That he didn't love you anymore. We sat in my room crying all night that night. He slowly started to come around after that, but it was slow healing. He carried your picture everywhere, looked at it so much that he had to have his brother send him extra copies. We talked about you a lot, despite the fact that it seemed to torture him. But somehow it was cathartic at the same time." I paused for a minute, unsure that I wanted to share this next part with her. Not because I was ashamed of it, but because I didn't want to hurt her any further, and I wasn't sure how she would react to this bit of information. But in the end I decided that if she was going to find out, it was better she know from the beginning. It was not a secret, and there was no reason for her to think I was trying to keep it from her.

"I think you should know that Edward and I did have a relationship, but I hesitate to even call it that. It was a relationship of convenience. We were over there for months at a time; Edward hasn't been home at all. Edward and I, it was all physical, all about the release and the contact. Even though there were nights where it was tender and we stayed up all night lying in each other's arms, he never made love to me, and I know that. It ended the night before I left. I was furious with Edward for convincing Dr. Logan to let him stay another six months. He said he couldn't go home because of you. He had broken your heart that day that he lied to you and he didn't think he could go home and see you living next to his parents, with your husband and kids living the life he should be living with you." I stopped for a minute and took a sip of my drink waiting for Bella's response.

"He lied to me? What a crock. If he loved me he would have married me then and we would have made it work."

"I can understand how and why you would think that. And over time Edward realized that though he acted with the best intentions, it was not necessarily the best thing for either of you. And I know you don't know me at all, but Bella I saw him. I didn't believe the things he was telling me and I hardly knew him at the time. I don't understand how he managed to convince you."

"Because it never made any sense," she said playing with the lid of her cup. "He was too beautiful for me."

I shook my head. "Bella you are gorgeous. He told me that first night that you and I were total opposites. You are beautiful in that naturally beautiful kind of way, and if you think girls like me aren't jealous of you, you're crazy. Honestly I think that if I had been a brown eyed bombshell like you Edward would have retreated into the jungle and we never would have seen him again. I helped Edward heal his self-inflicted broken heart. I don't know that he will ever be ready for another relationship, unless of course it's with you, but trust me when I say that he was one hundred times better when I left than he was when he got there."

Bella sat there shaking her head for a minute before she spoke. "I'm moving home. I quit my job and I broke up with my boyfriend. Bella held up her left arm as she mentioned her break up with her boyfriend. I gasped. Edward would kill him; there was not a doubt in my mind.

"Bella, you have to call the police."

"No. I've been thinking about it all night. We were both angry and he didn't really do anything but grab my arm as I was walking away from him. He's never hit me before and like I said it's over and I'm leaving. My flight is first thing in the morning."

"You're sure?" I asked.

"I am. Thank you for everything Tanya, but I really should get going," she said as she pushed away from the table.

I fished a pen and a piece of paper out of my jacket pocket and scribbled my number down for her. "If you need anything, please call." Bella offered me a soft smile as she took the paper and thanked me again before walking away.

I sat there for a few minutes, unsure of what to do. HIPAA laws forbid me from telling him about my evening. I mentally argued with myself for a minute before deciding that my friend was more important than Bella's privacy. Besides if I didn't tell him anything about why she was there or what kind of treatment was provided then it wasn't really breaking HIPAA anyway. The conversation we had after her arm was radiographed and casted was in no way covered under HIPAA.

**Edward-**

**I'm so glad to hear that you are going home. I have some news as well. I can't tell you much but I can tell you that she was in Chicago. She just broke up with her boyfriend and she is leaving for Seattle in the morning. **

** Love you,**

** Tanya**

**(P.S. She knows about us. The truth, and I think she still loves you)**

My finger hovered over the send button for close to a minute as my inner turmoil continued. He probably wasn't going to be happy about the things I told her, but it had to be done.

I hadn't even made it back to the emergency department when my phone started ringing. I couldn't help but smile when I saw his gorgeous face on my screen. "Well hello there handsome," I said as I ducked into an empty exam room.

"What do you mean she knows about us?" He sounded angry.

"Edward calm down."

"Calm down, you want me to calm down. How am I supposed to calm down when you just told the woman I love about us?" he asked.

"Edward look, it was for the best. She needed to know about it from the beginning. I wouldn't have told her if she hadn't told me she was going home to Seattle as a newly single woman. But the two of you could never have moved forward if that was hanging over your head. She wasn't angry, I promise."

"How could you know that Tanya, you don't know her," he said significantly calmer.

"Because when I called her Edward's Bella she was angry."

"Yea, I can imagine that didn't go over very well," he said with a laugh. "So what did she say that makes you think she still loves me?"

"Nothing exactly, I could just see it in her eyes. And she's going home; her flight is first thing in the morning."

"Oh shit, out of Chicago?"

"That's where we are," I said with a laugh.

"Yea me too, and my flight is first thing tomorrow morning as well."

"Oh boy, that could get awkward." I could almost see him running his hands through his beautiful bronze hair.

"Alright T, I should go. But she's okay right?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well you're at the hospital right, that's why you can't say much? She's okay right?" he asked again.

"Yes Edward, she's fine. Just as beautiful as you said she was and still completely unaware."

"Thanks T, love you."

"I love you too Edward," I said before ending the phone call. Oh boy, that was going to be one interesting flight.


End file.
